Island Expeditions: Island Maps and Features

In this guide, we will explain notable geographical features and information such as creature density for all Island Maps included in Island Expedition content.

This guide will only be covering details specific to each individual Island. A detailed and full Strategy Guide to Island Expeditions can be found in our Island Expeditions: Strategies.

About the Islands

There are 11 total Islands players may encounter on Island Expeditions. Each visit to an Island will have many elements randomized such as enemy types and location, events, and starting locations.

Each week there are 3 Islands out of the 9 that are available throughout the week, these will be shown on the Expedition Map Scouting Report. Once the weekly reset occurs 3 new Islands will be available for the week.

On the Expedition Map Interface, each week a picture of a creature will be displayed under the Island name. This picture represents the primary creature that will be found commonly on that Island for the week. Each Island has a pool of creatures that are based around the theme of the Island.

Understanding The Map

The map gives valuable information and uses special icons to tell players points of interest that are worth exploring. It is incredibly important to check the map often and investigate symbols that you discover on it.

Scouted Azerite: Location of some Azerite source that has yet to be revealed. This usually marks the location of a potential Powerful Foe or Bonus Objective. Not every objective will be marked this way however. When a member of your expedition team explores this area the icon will vanish.

Azerite Source: Location of an interactable that awards Azerite. Usually a Chest, Satchel, or Mining Node containing Azerite.

Powerful Foe: A Rare or Rare Elite enemy awarding a large amount of Azerite.

Bonus Objective: Location of a friendly NPC in need of help. The quest details are discovered when any member of your team walks up to the NPC and tracked on the Bonus Objectives quest tracker.

Enemy Faction Member: Location of a member of the enemy faction.

Alliance Ship: Kul'Tiran ship, spawn location of Alliance members. Horde players too close will be bombarded by the ship cannons.

Horde Ship: Zandalari ship, spawn location of Horde members. Alliance players too close will be bombarded by the ship cannons.

Portal: Location of a portal that will take you to another location.

Azerite Extractor Location: Location that a faction may deploy an Azerite Extractor that will slowly generate Azerite for that team until destroyed by creatures or the other faction. Destroying an enemy Azerite Extractor will allow you to replace it with your own.

Azerite Rupture Location: Location of an Azerite Rupture. A player may deploy an Azerite Extractor that will attract Azerite themed enemies until a rare spawn shows up. Once the rare spawn is defeated, this icon vanishes.

Fog-of-War is a new mechanic introduced in Battle For Azeroth through Island Expeditions. If you are familiar with this mechanic in many Real-Time Strategy games, it works the same. Details of the map are only updated on the map while you have visibility on them. This is currently, approximately 100 yards from your character position. Areas outside your visibility range are shaded on the main map and details won't update until you visit it again. Ex. If a player from your team finds a Powerful Foe, it will be shown with a bright Icon on the main map, if they then leave the area, the icon will be shaded grey but continue to stay on the map at where it was last seen. There is a chance that when another team member visits that area again, the will completely vanish as that rare no longer exists.

Islands of 8.2 Rise of Azshara

Rise of Azshara brings another two islands into the pool of islands, bringing the total amount of Islands to 11. These islands are Crestfall and Snowblossom Village. It is likely that at least one of these islands will be available every week in Rise of Azshara.

Crestfall

Crestfall is an island that has seen war before between the Alliance and Horde many years ago. Though deserted, wreckage and ruins of this once Naval base still remain.

Islands of 8.1: Tides of Vengeance

Two new Islands are entering the pool of available Islands in Battle for Azeroth Patch 8.1: Tides of Vengeance. These Islands are Havenswood and Jorundall. This brings the total amount of available Islands to 9.

Havenswood

Havenswood is a Gilnean themed island with many of the buildings representing their style. The actual accessible parts of the Island seem to indicate that this is just outside the main city of the Island. Havenswood has become a place plagued with dark magic.

8.0 Islands

Molten Cay is a forested Island Volcano. The east side of the Island is made up of some ruins and lakes, the west side has a long beachfront and mostly forest and the center is the volcano with scorched land leading to the ocean.

The Un'gol Ruins consists of stone ruins on the western side of the Island with some villages of its inhabitants scattered on the eastern side. The Island is fully accessible from water travel on all sides.

The Rotting Mire is an Island nearly swallowed by the sea. Mounds of land with shipwrecked ships are found scattered with the rest of the Island in shallow water.

The Rotting Mire is by far the least populated Island of them all with only 4 notable areas where a small concentration of enemies can be found. Gathering Azerite from nodes and chests is going to be important here as traveling between groups of enemies is very time consuming.

The Dread Chain is a snow-covered Island with a ritual site on the only notable hill at the center of the Island.

The Dread Chain is arguably the most creature packed Island of them all. Very large groups of enemies and Azerite can be found at the center of the Island, making it important to work your way towards it. There is also a decent amount of enemies along the water that are worth visiting. Expeditions to this Island are usually fast paced with the amount of resources available.

Skittering Hollow's primary feature is the large hollow that makes up the western side of the Island and home to many cave-dwelling creatures. The eastern side is mostly hilly and grassy terrain and the only easy access to the Island by boat.

Skittering Hollow can have the following special enemy types and rewards:

Comments

Comment by Rawveggie

One question I can't seem to find the answer to: If you kill the opposing faction (AI, not players) do they respawn or are they gone from that point on?

I am guessing they are not gone but it'd sure make it a bit easier. They probably respawn but was looking for confirmation.

Comment by TegoZanduba

I'm not understanding why this guide has "Strategies" in the title?Thank you for a summary of the different islands though.

Update: the guide no longer has "Strategies" in the title. It is now "Island Maps and Features".

Comment by Fedonox

As the guide does not entirely cover all "strategies", here is something I found useful on normal difficulty.

Follow the "X"-spots marked on the map. I recommend doing them in a set order, i.e. starting with the one nearest to the ship and then following outwards. If you completed the first 3 spots, new one's should appear. Follow them the same way.

While on the way to the "X"-spots, kill all mobs with a skull marked on the map.

If you encounter the opposing faction team, mark one and focus them one-by-one.

Do not waste your time with quests, as they take too long to complete.

I follow these steps every time and get 100% victories in about 7-8 minutes. Of course only if the PUG's follow my lead ;)

Hope it helps a bit.

Comment by lovs2build

Why no mention of pets that can drop in bags?

Comment by Comocosono

Originally if you played the map like this "guide" said to you were playing the game wrong. If you are trying to gather as much azerite as fast as possible and not focusing on named rares and portals then you are playing the game wrong. Blizzard has stated this. They had to change the drop rate of loot because players were too stupid to play the islands the way they are supposed to be played and just spammed them as fast as possible and then complained they didn't ever get any loot. Part of the blame rests on Blizzard for not explaining and letting players assume that it is like a BG race for resources thing. But this is an MMO. You are supposed to figure it out on your own, Blizzard held players' hands for too long. Now no matter what you do unless you que as a group there is always one idiot that refuses to listen when you tell him he is playing the game wrong and he continues to farm creatures and ruins your chance to collect named rares and portals.

Comment by Sarthorius

@Sangheilios dunno if you followed them, but there seems to be a guide somewhere in the site you could follow to better suit these guides ;) Nice one though, just needed a bit more organization, like 'tabs', so the page doesn't go too long and could always be room for more info, just like the 'comprehensive' ones from Legion, just an advice.

Comment by Vikinng

Awesome guide thank you so much for all your work

Comment by dmciver

So yesterday, I ran with a pair of warlocks and it seemed like the strategy they were using was one of them was gathering up all the mobs (literally all of them) and the other warlock was coming behind and collecting all the azerite. The first warlock didn't stop and try and AOE any of the mobs down, but just kept gathering them up. Suddenly we went from almost no Azerite to victory without barely killing any mobs.

Is that a viable strategy? The mobs aren't leashed right? They didn't communicate what they were doing but it seemed like that's what they were doing.

Comment by dmciver

So yesterday, I ran with a pair of warlocks and it seemed like the strategy they were using was one of them was gathering up all the mobs (literally all of them) and the other warlock was coming behind and collecting all the azerite. The first warlock didn't stop and try and AOE any of the mobs down, but just kept gathering them up. Suddenly we went from almost no Azerite to victory without barely killing any mobs.

Is that a viable strategy? The mobs aren't leashed right? They didn't communicate what they were doing but it seemed like that's what they were doing.

Comment by Alanray43

Crestfall also has orc spirits. May wish to update this guide with that

Comment by creassrpm

Map pool is really bad. I'm still waiting Un'gol Ruins for complete the achievement. I have seen it before 3 months ago i guess.Blizzard should do something about this. I'm bored to wait it.